Reel mountings

ABSTRACT

A mounting for supporting reels of different widths includes a shaft with a flange to position one end of the reel. The other end is supported by a plate clamped against the reel by means of a rubber ring compressible to grip the shaft. The ring is compressed by an annular member bearing against the inner side of the ring and secured to two bolts passing through the ring and the plate. A handle is pivotable about the end of the bolts to cam against the plate, and a cup member is urged against the other side of the ring by compression springs between the plate and the cup member.

United States Patent 1191 Jackson Dec. 3, 1974 REEL MOUNTINGS [75] Inventor: Norman Walter Jackson, London,

[21] Appl. No.: 322,899

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 21, 1971 Great Britain 59602/71 52 U.S. c1. 242/683 51 1m.c1 ..B65h 17/02 58 Field Of Search 242/683, 63, 68.4, 7 1, 242/719, 116, 46.2, 46.4, 129.7; 269/236,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,406,768 9/1946 .Hitt 242/46.2 2,705,112 3/1955 Baumgartner 242/68 2,862,677 12/1958 Selsted 242/683 3,134,554 5/1964 Dexter 242/683 3,294,337 12/1966 Jacob 242/683 3,313,495 4/1967 McWilliams 242/683 3,724,772 4/1973 Hager et al. 242/683 Primary Examiner-John W. Huckert Assistant Examiner.l0hn M. Jillions Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Craig & Antonelli [57] ABSTRACT A mounting for supporting reels of different widths includes a shaft with a flange to position one end of the reel. The other end is supported by a plate clamped against the reel by means of a rubber ring compressible to grip the shaft. The ring is compressed by an annular member bearing against the inner side of the ring and secured to two bolts passing through the ring and the plate. A handle is pivotable about the end of the bolts to cam against the plate, and a cup member is urged against the other side of the ring by compression springs between the plate and the cup member.

9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures REEL MOUNTINGS This invention concerns improvements in or relating to reel mountings e.g. mountings for reels of reconstituted tobacco sheet.

It is an object to provide a reel mounting which is adjustable to accommodate different widths of reel and in which the reel is secured by axial clamping.

According to the present invention there is provided a mounting for a reel having a central aperture, comprising a shaft to pass through the centre of the reel and having a first supporting means to receive and position one end of the reel, and a second supporting means to receive and position the other end of the reel, the second supporting means being detachable from the shaft and comprising an elastomeric element which is radially expansible to grip the shaft and actuating means operable on the element to cause it to expand and grip the shaft.

The elastomeric element may be a rubber ring closely encircling the shaft, and the second supporting means may further comprise a plate to support said other end of the reel, the actuating means being operable to effect relative movement between the plate and the ring to compress the ring axially and cause it to expand radially, so that when the ring has gripped the shaft the plate is urged towards the first supporting means to clamp the reel therebetween.

One embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing of which:

FIG. 1 is a sectioned elevation on the line II of FIG. 2,

FIG. 2 is an end elevation in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to the right hand lower part of FIG. 1.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a shaft is mounted for rotation, in a manner not shown, on a stationary shaft 11 which is secured in a bracket 12. At the left hand end of the shaft 10 and secured thereto, although it could be integral with the shaft, is an annular supporting member 13 which has a cylindrical portion 13A to fit snugly inside the end of a reel, and a circumferential flange 138 against which the end of the reel bears.

The reel is shown at 14 and has a cylindrical core 14A. The second supporting means 15 is shown at the right hand end of the shaft 10 and comprises a cylindrical plate 15A which bears against the end of the core 14A and carries three equi-angularly disposed pins 16 on which the right hand end of the core 14A sits. The

plate 15A has a central aperture 15B through which the shaft 10 passes. The plate 15A is supported from a circumferential rubber ring 17 which is trapped between an annular member 18 and an annular cup member 19 by means of two lug bolts 20 disposed on opposite sides of the shaft 10. The member 18 fits within the cup member 19. Each bolt 20 has a large diameter portion 20A, an intermediate diameter portion 208, the step therebetween bearing against the cup member 19, and a smaller threaded portion 20C, the step between the threaded portion and the intermediate portion 208 bearing against the annular member 18. A nut 20D is tightened on to the threaded portion 20C of each bolt 21 until the annular member 18 bears against the step between the portions 20B and 20C. Between the cup member 19 and the plate 15A are two compression springs 21 slidable on the portions 20A. The bolts 20 have lug ends 20E, and opposite ends of a U-shaped handle 22 are pivoted to the lug ends 20E by means of nuts and bolts 23. Also passing through the plate 15A, and midway between the bolts 20, are two pins 24 which have heads 24A which bear on the plate 15A and carry nuts 24B which bear against the inner surface of the cup member 19. Each pin 24 alsocarries a compression spring 25 similar to the springs 21.

The U-shaped handle 22 has cammed ends shaped as shown in FIG. 3 so that as it is brought from the position shown in the top part of FIG. 1, and in full lines in FIG. 2, to the position shown in FIG. 3 against the plate 15A (shown also in dot and dash lines in FIG. 2) it acts as a fulcrum against the plate 15A to pull the lug bolts 20 to the right as shown in FIG. 1, so axially compressing the rubber ring 17 by pressing it towards the plate 15A against the springs 21 and 25. This axial compression of the ring causes it to expand radially inwards to grip against the shaft 10 as its outer surface is constrained by the cup member 19. Once the rubber ring has gripped tightly on the shaft 10, further movement of the handle 22 towards the position shown in FIG. 3 causes the plate 15A to be pressed harder against the right hand end of the core 14A, so clamping it between the flange 13B and the plate 15A.

In operation, the reel core is placed on the supporting means 13 with its left hand end bearing against the flange 138, the second supporting means is placed on the shaft l0'with the handle 22 in the full line position as shown in FIG. 2, the supporting means 15 is moved in so that the pins 16 engage with the inside surface of the end of the core and the plate 15A bears against the right hand end of the core, the handle 22 is then brought down into the position shown in FIG. 3, so causing the rubber ring l7 to grip the shaft, and the plate 15A to clamp against the core 14A.

A central support 26 is also provided for the core 14A. This is in the form of a wheel with a crowned outer surface and is slidable along the shaft 10 and is clamped in position by means of a grub screw 27.

Shown at the left hand side of the core 14A is an adjustable friction brake which comprises a band 32 in a V-shaped pulley groove 28 formed on the member 13, the frictional grip of the band in the groove being adjustable by means of a knurled nut 29 which bears against a member 30 secured to the bracket 12 and which screws on to a threaded rod 31 attached to the band 32.

I claim:

1. A mounting for a reel having a central aperture, comprising a shaft to pass through the center of the reel and having a first supporting means to receive and position one end of the reel, and a second supporting means to receive and position the other end of the reel, the second supporting means being detachable from the shaft and comprising a plate to support said other end of the reel, a rubber ring closely encircling the shaft and positioned between the first supporting means and the plate, and actuating means operable to effect relative movement between the plate and the ring to bring the plate and the ring together, the actuating means comprising compression means bearing against the side of the ring remote from the plate and extending through the plate, a cam pivotal about said compression means to engage the plate and cause said relative movement between the plate and the ring, and resilient means interposed between the plate and the other side of the ring so that pivoting of the cam causes axial compression of the ring between said resilient means and said compression means, resulting in the ring gripping the shaft and the plate being urged towards the ring to clamp the reel against the first supporting means.

2. A mounting as claimed in claim 1 wherein the actuating means comprises two cams operable by a single handle, and said compression means comprises an annular member and two bolts disposed diametrically opposite each other and secured to the annular member, each bolt passing through the ring and having a lug end projecting through the plate about which lug ends said two cams are pivotal, the resilient means being a plurality of helical compression springs bearing against an annular cup member which closely encircles the outer periphery of the ring and bears against said other side of the ring.

3. A mounting as claimed in claim 2 further comprising at least two pins slidably connecting the cup member to the plate, each pin having one of said helical springs mounted thereon.

4. A mounting as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an annular support adjustable along the shaft for supporting the reel in the aperture between said ends.

5. A mounting for a reel having a central aperture, comprising a shaft to pass through the center of the reel and having a first supporting means mounted on said shaft to receive and position one end of the reel, and a second supporting means detachable from the shaft and comprising a plate to support the other end of the reel, an elastomeric element closely encircling the shaft, compression means engageable with the elastomeric element to cause it to deform into gripping engagement with the shaft, and means to actuate the compression means including a member engageable with the plate and the compression means to urge the plate towards the first supporting means, so that when the elastomeric element has gripped the shaft, the member clamps the reel between the plate and the first supporting means.

6. A mounting for a reel having a central aperture,

comprising a shaft to pass through the center of the reel and having a first supporting means to receive and position one end of the reel, and a second supporting means to receive and position the other end of the reel, the second supporting means being detachable from the shaft and comprising a plate to support said other end of the reel, an elastomeric element in the form of a radialiy expansible rubber ring closely encircling the shaft between said first supporting means and said plate, actuating means on the element to cause it to expand and grip the shaft, wherein the actuating means comprises compression means bearing against the side of the ring remote from the plate and extending through the plate, a cam pivotal about the end of said compression means on the side of the plate opposite said ring to effect relative movement of the plate and the ring, and resilient means interposed between the plate and the other side of the ring so that pivoting of the cam compresses the resilient means causing the ring to radially expand to grip the shaft after which further pivoting of the cam will move the plate towards the ring to clamp the reel.

7. A mounting as claimed in claim 6 wherein the actuating means comprises two cams operable by a single handle, and said compression means comprises an an nular member and two bolts disposed diametrically opposite each other and secured to the annular member. each bolt passing through the ring and having a lug end projecting through the plate about which lug ends said two cams are pivotal, the resilient means being a plurality of helical compression springs bearing against an annular cup member which closely encircles the outer pe riphery of the ring and bears against said other side of the ring.

8. A mounting as claimed in claim 7 further comprising at least two pins slidably connecting the cup member to the plate, each pin having one of said helical springs mounted thereon.

9. A mounting as claimed in claim 8 further comprising an annular support adjustable along the shaft for supporting the reel in the aperture between said ends, a t 

1. A mounting for a reel having a central aperture, comprising a shaft to pass through the center of the reel and having a first supporting means to receive and position one end of the reel, and a second supporting means to receive and position the other end of the reel, the second supporting means being detachable from the shaft and comprising a plate to support said other end of the reel, a rubber ring closely encircling the shaft and positioned between the first supporting means and the plate, and actuating means operable to effect relative movement between the plate and the ring to bring the plate and the ring together, the actuating means comprising compression means bearing against the side of the ring remote from the plate and extending through the plate, a cam pivotal about said compression means to engage the plate and Cause said relative movement between the plate and the ring, and resilient means interposed between the plate and the other side of the ring so that pivoting of the cam causes axial compression of the ring between said resilient means and said compression means, resulting in the ring gripping the shaft and the plate being urged towards the ring to clamp the reel against the first supporting means.
 2. A mounting as claimed in claim 1 wherein the actuating means comprises two cams operable by a single handle, and said compression means comprises an annular member and two bolts disposed diametrically opposite each other and secured to the annular member, each bolt passing through the ring and having a lug end projecting through the plate about which lug ends said two cams are pivotal, the resilient means being a plurality of helical compression springs bearing against an annular cup member which closely encircles the outer periphery of the ring and bears against said other side of the ring.
 3. A mounting as claimed in claim 2 further comprising at least two pins slidably connecting the cup member to the plate, each pin having one of said helical springs mounted thereon.
 4. A mounting as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an annular support adjustable along the shaft for supporting the reel in the aperture between said ends.
 5. A mounting for a reel having a central aperture, comprising a shaft to pass through the center of the reel and having a first supporting means mounted on said shaft to receive and position one end of the reel, and a second supporting means detachable from the shaft and comprising a plate to support the other end of the reel, an elastomeric element closely encircling the shaft, compression means engageable with the elastomeric element to cause it to deform into gripping engagement with the shaft, and means to actuate the compression means including a member engageable with the plate and the compression means to urge the plate towards the first supporting means, so that when the elastomeric element has gripped the shaft, the member clamps the reel between the plate and the first supporting means.
 6. A mounting for a reel having a central aperture, comprising a shaft to pass through the center of the reel and having a first supporting means to receive and position one end of the reel, and a second supporting means to receive and position the other end of the reel, the second supporting means being detachable from the shaft and comprising a plate to support said other end of the reel, an elastomeric element in the form of a radially expansible rubber ring closely encircling the shaft between said first supporting means and said plate, actuating means on the element to cause it to expand and grip the shaft, wherein the actuating means comprises compression means bearing against the side of the ring remote from the plate and extending through the plate, a cam pivotal about the end of said compression means on the side of the plate opposite said ring to effect relative movement of the plate and the ring, and resilient means interposed between the plate and the other side of the ring so that pivoting of the cam compresses the resilient means causing the ring to radially expand to grip the shaft after which further pivoting of the cam will move the plate towards the ring to clamp the reel.
 7. A mounting as claimed in claim 6 wherein the actuating means comprises two cams operable by a single handle, and said compression means comprises an annular member and two bolts disposed diametrically opposite each other and secured to the annular member, each bolt passing through the ring and having a lug end projecting through the plate about which lug ends said two cams are pivotal, the resilient means being a plurality of helical compression springs bearing against an annular cup member which closely encircles the outer periphery of the ring and bears against said other side of the ring.
 8. A mounting as claimed in claim 7 further comprising at least two piNs slidably connecting the cup member to the plate, each pin having one of said helical springs mounted thereon.
 9. A mounting as claimed in claim 8 further comprising an annular support adjustable along the shaft for supporting the reel in the aperture between said ends. 